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Recent champs lead first round of bracket challenge

Visit www.sctimes.com/sports to vote in the bracket challenge.(Photo: SC TImes graphic)

ST. CLOUD — Monday marks Day 5 of voting for the top state title winner of the 2000s, and some early favorites in the SC Times Bracket Challenge have developed in the opening round.

Voting closes Saturday afternoon so there is still plenty of time to cast your votes and set up the quarterfinals, for which voting will start Sunday.

Teams from the past five seasons are leading all eight first round matchups, while 2015 Cathedral Baseball has the biggest initial lead, grabbing 72 percent of the vote over 2004 Sauk Rapids Boys Swimming. The Crusaders have received the most votes of any team in the bracket.

The 2019 ROCORI Football state champs also have gained plenty of support, leading 2011 Cathedral Girls Cross Country by a wide margin of 64 percent.

The closest matchup is between 2008 Albany Girls Basketball and 2017 St. Cloud Adapted Softball, with the St. Cloud Sluggers holding 52 percent of the vote and leading by less than two dozen total votes.

Co-op programs are having a run of success. Besides the two adapted sports leading in round one, 2019 Sartell/Cathedral Boys Nordic Ski is ahead of 2014 Apollo Boys Soccer with 55 percent of the vote and 2016 Tech/Cathedral Gymnastics leads 2010 Cathedral Dance at 60 percent.

Will anybody be able to slow down the recent champs in round one? Get the word out and keep voting for your favorite teams. Voting is open until 3 p.m. Saturday.

Zach Dwyer is a sports reporter and photographer for the St. Cloud Times. Reach him at 320-406-5660 or zdwyer@stcloudtimes.com. Follow him on Twitter @sctimeszach.